New law to end council house queue jumping by immigrants

New immigrants could be pushed to the bottom of council-house waiting lists to end ‘unfairness’ to local people.

Under Coalition plans being unveiled tomorrow, town halls can give priority to people with established links to the area.

The move will be followed later this week by the announcement of strict curbs on the number of ‘skilled’ migrants allowed into Britain.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps will propose cracking down by giving councils the right to set criteria, including favouring local residents

The measures highlight the growing importance of immigration as an issue as spending cuts, tax rises and un-employment squeeze family finances.

There are nearly five million names on council house waiting lists in England. Under the system introduced by Labour in 2002, anyone can add their name, with the lack of control sparking widespread claims that newly-arrived immigrants ‘jump the queue’.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps will propose cracking down by giving councils the right to set criteria, including favouring local residents.

But immigrants with families would still have to be housed if they were deemed homeless.

Tory Mr Shapps will also allow town halls to reject those who have applied for housing in another district, to discourage multiple applications.

And he is expected to end the right to a council house for life for new tenants, with some potentially being asked to move out after two years. Existing tenants will not be affected.

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to announce strict caps on the ‘business back-route’, under which migrants from outside the EU can enter the UK if they have skills which companies claim are in short supply.

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Research seen by The Mail on Sunday – and which is likely to be seized on by the Government to justify the curbs – has found that thousands of migrants have been allowed into the country to work in professions in which Britons cannot find jobs.

Last year 1,694 migrants were brought in to be care home assistants, though there were 33,265 such workers claiming unemployment benefit.

Equally, 1,089 software professionals came into the country, despite there being 4,540 claiming benefit. A total of 2,202 chefs were allowed in, despite 11,960 being unemployed here.

The crackdown follows wrangling in the Coalition after Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable said in September that an interim cap, introduced before this week’s permanent cap, was hugely damaging to business.

He was slapped down by No 10, which said limits would still allow the ‘brightest and best’ to come to Britain.

Government sources said the council-house system needed reform because Labour had left it in ‘chaos’.

A source said: ‘We are aiming at a totemic shift from saying council housing should be available to everyone to focusing on people who genuinely need help.’

Mr Shapps will keep controls requiring councils to prioritise people in the greatest housing need, such as the homeless or those in overcrowded accommodation.

Councils and housing associations will have to give tenants at least six months’ notice to move out if they are found to be no longer eligible for social housing.

Social housing landlords will be able to check tenants’ finances after two years in a property. Tenants could be evicted if their financial situation is deemed to have improved sufficiently.